topgun2

Overland, Don't think that I was "first" since tnbackroads had his done the day before. When I emailed Jason a couple of days before I got there I simply listed this mod (along with the other work that I wanted done) and in his return email to me he said that they would take care of it. I also didn't ask if the new Oliver's coming down the line had this mod, but, I would find it very hard to believe that they wouldn't (or, the design to the tanks would have been modified directly from the tank mfg). Since I didn't ask and one can not actually see any copper on my mod, I don't know about what was used for the drop tube. However, assuming that it works, I'm not sure that I really care a whole lot. Bill

Routlaw, The fresh water tank mod is designed to allow the water to pick up "all" of the water in the fresh water tank versus the original design that only got something like 80% of the total capacity of the tank before the pump started to suck air. I believe that credit should go to "Raspy" for the original design and idea of putting the pickup into the top of the tank (versus the original that is from the side) with a tube that extends to the bottom of the tank. As soon as I get a bit of time I will post a trip review - with Colorado fish pictures. Bill

Wow! You guys are right on it this morning. Below are a few quick photos of this mod. Note that I did not take it apart to see just how far the pickup tube goes towards the bottom of the tank. But, Jason told me that now I would be able to use virtually 99% of the water that was in there, so, I assume that they put that tube right to the bottom. Also, since I only live about seven hours from Hohenwald and just got home yesterday afternoon, I did not have a chance to "test" it. Hope this help! Bill

Don't know the answer(s) to the questions - call Richie Carroll at 1-888-526-3978 and I'm sure that he can give you the details. I'll get some pictures today and (hopefully) post them later today. Bill

John, Looks to me like you need to take the bull by the horns and organize an "Oliver West Rally" just like Hardrock did for 2017 and is doing for 2018. I'm sure that he would be more than happy to give you all the help he can. Bill

I've just returned from a fly fishing trip in Colorado. On the way back to Western North Carolina I stopped at the Mothership and had the guys at the plant "do" a couple of things for me. One of those things was seeing if I could get the "new" mod done on the fresh water tank. Jason told me that it would be no problem and would not take them very long to complete. When the work was done, Jason gave me my total bill and I noticed that the "Fresh Tank Modification" was billed at $47.50 but was marked "N/C". Certainly it is possible that since the rest of the bill totaled almost $1,000 they just threw this mod in on the deal, but ... So, not only did I get the mod, but, they did not charge me for it! Talk about great service at a great price! So, if you are near Hohenwald and/or are planning on getting some other work completed, you might want to ask (nicely) if they would do this "mod" for you. Finally - once again I simply can not say enough kind words in regards to the work and helpfulness of these guys at Oliver. Jason, Richie, Justin, Dustin (and others) not only work their butts off doing great work in a hot and humid plant, but, they are simply great guys and more than willing to do whatever is in their power to help. Its simply amazing to me what these guys will do for a couple of donuts and a can of soda! Thanks to them for all they did for me. Bill

OK, here's the bottom line from by trip that ended this afternoon. I traveled from Western NC to Colorado and back. There was copious rain, numerous rough dirt roads and a bunch of miles on the Interstate. I used the Tow Ready 20142 the entire time and never had one "disconnect" issue or message. In a previous post I mentioned that I was going to remove some foil tape that I had applied over and around some of the wiring and lights prior to the trip. I never got around to doing that. So, the only difference in my before the trip and after the trip was the Tow Ready 20142 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C4AYR3U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Bill

Dave - I am constantly amazed with the people on this Forum. People perceive a "problem" or a way to make something "better" and then they find a way to do it. I think that this is why this Forum is so good. I know that there are not many of us and I can only wish that more of the present owners would actively join in sharing their experience, but, until that happens, I certainly appreciate the efforts of member such as yourself. Bill

John - they say that drying time is 5 minutes! Certainly the weather did not slow that down very much - 80 degrees but the humidity was fairly high. Life is tough in the mountains of Western North Carolina! Bill

OK, so, first observation on this stuff is that one must read and follow the directions exactly. Yes, I do read and I do follow (unless there is some "valid" reason not to) but part of the instructions say to remove the tape from the masked off areas immediately while the product is still wet. Well, let me tell you - this stuff dries REALLY fast. I would suggest that when it comes time to remove the masking tape, two people get involved. While one person continues to spray to "wet" the edge, the other person follows directly behind quickly removing the tape. If you do not do this, the product film will start to lift off the surface of the Ollie. Don't ask me how I know this! Bill

John - basically the answer to your question has to do with money and looks. At the Owners Rally I did see an Elite II with bed liner sprayed on and interestingly it was done in black. It didn't look as bad as I had imagined. But, this stuff is less than $15 a can and I used one can to do the areas noted in the pictures. Certainly I don't believe that it will do as good a job as the bed liner stuff, but this stuff can be peeled off after I'm done with the dirt for this year. We'll see! Bill

This past winter I saw a product called "Custom Shield Coating" by ArmorAll. This is a spray on, peel-off paint and body protection product that is supposed to help prevent rock chips. Since I will shortly be hitting the road and plan on traveling on my share of dirt over the next two months, I thought that I'd give it a try. And it sure is a bunch cheaper than a set of Rock Tamers. Application is fairly easy once you have the area taped and masked. When dry the surface of the Oliver has a "rubber like" texture to it and it is not shiny like the rest of the camper. However, on a test area the shine was back when the product was peeled off. Once I get back - mid September or so - I'll report back here as to how well this stuff held up and if it prevented and rock chips. Bill

Reed and Karen - I truly am sorry for the issues that you have had with your Oliver and for the lack of "speedy" response by the plant personnel. But, you have made your point. If you have not already done so, I'd suggest a letter to John and Scott Oliver. Bill

Recently I was told about a fairly simple one time use fire extinguisher - Tundra by First Alert. I know that there is an extinguisher by the Oliver entrance, but, what if a fire happens in the kitchen and I'm back in the bed? Amazon had a two pack of these for $22.49 and I ordered them. https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-AF400-Extinguisher-Aerosol/dp/B001229JCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499709044&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=tundra+fire+extinguisher&psc=1 Since they don't come with any kind of mount, I took a piece of 2 inch wide "industrial" Velcro I had in the workshop and figured that it would work nicely in the corner below the nightstand. Hopefully I'll never have to use it. Bill

My post concerning "screaming" was intended to be "cute" and not in anyway disparage anyone's ability (or lack thereof) to drive mountain roads. By taking the railway both people can look around without the hassle of also having to watch traffic. Both people can look for wildlife, both can look at the view, both can relax. Certainly it gives you another alternative. Bill

In my experience, it is those that have been wronged (or perceived to have been wronged) that voice opinions in the strongest manner possible. At the same time, those that are satisfied (or at least think they are) go merrily on their way without saying too much. I've tried my best over the years to write letters of thanks and gratitude when I have received good products or service, but, am usually amazed when I hear that this doesn't happen too often anymore. There have been voices on this Forum that have documented their displeasure at the quality and/or service received from Oliver. And, there have been others that have praised Oliver not only for the initial quality but for the long term commitment to making a better camper plus fixing any problems that customers may have with their campers. Rarely have I seen a company publish a public note explaining its position on this subject and then actually "do it". Olivers are not for everyone, but, from what I've seen and heard and experienced they are the best (by a long shot) out there. I know that I'm a happy camper even for $60,000. No, mine is not a Rollie - not that I've ever actually owned one - but, for me, it sure beats anything else I've been able to look at. Bill

I used the TowMaster yesterday when I towed Twist home from the storage facility and there were no "disconnect" messages. However, the distance towed was only 10 miles which doesn't give a very large data sample. So, I think that I'll leave my foil hat on for now, continue to use the TowMaster and see what happens with longer distances. Bill

Yes, at $40 a pop its not cheap, but, it sure beats hearing you and Carol taking turns screaming - depending on just which one of you is on the outside of that turn. Bill

Mike and Carol - You mentioned Pikes Peak. I'd recommend that you take the cog railway ( http://cograilway.com/ ) instead of driving. That way, both of you can look around during the trip up and down. Bill

That's weird but smart - with every camper I've owned, the board has been inside the exterior compartment and I just assumed that it was in that location with the Oliver. Sorry about that! - Bill

twdavid - unlock and lower the hot water heater panel on the curbside exterior of your Ollie. The board should be in there. Bill

Looks like it was a great trip home! That sure is one hefty puppy you've got there. The picture along the Arkansas is certainly my favorite. Bill

Yes, but the Oliver has that "foil" insulation between the hulls. So, unless you are trying to communicate with the "Mothership" by sitting close to the windows you still don't need the hat inside the Oliver. Bill

I stumbled on this YouTube video ( ) yesterday which shows a "hack" in which with a couple of CD's or DVD's placed around a coax cable coming from your cable TV supplier will allow you to be able to get all channels supplied over that cable without the need for a de-coder box. That got me to thinking - several days prior to my last trip when I had my "trailer disconnect" issues start happening, I placed some foil "duct" tape on the interior of my Oliver to seal around all of the marker lights and to secure the wires from those lights in a better fashion. If what the individual in the video says is true then it just might be possible that current in those wires is being affected by the foil tape I used. This Sunday I will be bringing Twist home to stock, clean and organize prior to my fishing trip out West. One of the first things I will do is remove most of that tape - it can't hurt! Of course, I'll post the results here. Bill

With my first cone replacement, like Mike, I too could not get the parts separated. Yes, I did the heat thing, and the dead blow, and the inverted jack lifting the back of the truck thing and the sledge and the rapping on the sides and the ...... I finally gave up and since I was going to Hohenwald anyway I figured that they could use a press. Well, after trying for about two hours even the guys at the plant gave up and swapped me for a new one. For the second replacement, Sage (at Andersen) simply said that he would ship me a new one and, again like Mike, the return of the old one was pre-paid. No arguing, no hassles, no problem. Bill